East meets west in new pear

Food scientist Natalie How with a pair of piqaboos. Photo / John Cowpland

The future of New Zealand's fruit export industry has gone pear-shaped.

The first pear from a new range of New Zealand-harvested, hybrid fruits - piqaboo - has been unveiled in Hong Kong and will have its first commercial planting next year.

Plant & Food Research - creators of the jazz apple and the Zespri gold kiwifruit - has worked with Topfruit Development and Australasian marketing group Prevar on the release of the piqa range with the intention of producing innovative, high-quality cultivars.

Prevar chief executive Brett Ennis said the new pears were hybrids of the best attributes from west and east. "The piqa range of fruits fuse the best of the east and west together into an exciting and new range of pears - taking influence from the depth of flavour and rich tones of European pears with the convenience, crisp and juicy nature of Asian pears.